


The Grinning Reaper

by SoulStealerSlayers



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Child Souls (Undertale), Determination (Undertale), Other, Sans (Undertale) Remembers Resets, Sans on Surface, Undertale Genocide Route, Undertale Saves and Resets, Worried Sans (Undertale)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22747141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoulStealerSlayers/pseuds/SoulStealerSlayers
Summary: After hundreds of resets, most of them Genocide Runs, Sans has had enough. He takes matters into his own hands and manages to absorb one of the human souls and escape the Underground. However, now he needs to find six more human souls in order to break the barrier and save monsterkind. Can he muster the intent to kill to save his brother and friends, or perhaps fate will finally lend him a hand and create a path for him to take that is a little less murdery?
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	1. Escape

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone!! After months and months of reading Undertale fanfics, fan comics (and playing the game quite a bit), I found myself inspired to write a fanfic! This is my very first fanfic, so please go easy on me! ^_^;
> 
> This fanfic is based on canonical Undertale characters, but I do see it becoming something of an AU of its own...Maybe.
> 
> I'm sure there are mistakes throughout, but I will fix them as I continue to write this story. I will most definitely fix/add things as I go, so please feel free to come back every now and then to reread and see if there's anything different. By the way, sorry the first chapter is so short. It's mostly just a small preparation for the story that's to come!
> 
> Thank you for reading!! Hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!

He knew about the Souls; where they were, what happened to them. He hated the way they seemed to scream when he poked and prodded them while he worked at the Lab. He flinched every time he thought he heard a pained cry from the pulsing heart floating before him. He thought walking away from the Lab would be the last time he’d ever set his eyes upon the six colored, floating hearts. Yet, he never expected such a determined soul would find their way to the Underground. He never expected that soul to be so...Repetitive. They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. He knew that wasn’t the truth. Not here. Not now. In his case, the more things stayed the same, the more _he_ changed. His soul pounded with pain and agony as he stared at the six containers of souls before him; and for the very first time, they were quiet; complicit. Comforting.

Getting past Asgore was no problem. A simple shortcut and a row of blue bones forming a makeshift door ensured privacy. Even if Asgore heard anything from the Throne room, it would be too late. Sans made his decision hours ago after he awoke from yet another reset, immediately after holding his brother’s dust in his hands for the 748th time. His eyes snapped open, yet no cyan seeped from his left eye; no tears escaped his eye sockets; even his bones eluded the trembling sensation he typically felt after such a startling reset. Only the sharp sting of numbness overwhelmed his soul and his mind.

He stood before the light-blue soul. Patience. Though he seemed to have a closer relationship with Justice, a small voice seemed to call out his name from the light blue heart. Without a word or a change in expression, Sans opened the capsule and gently wrapped his phalanges around the soul and brought it to his chest. Warmth pulsed past his blue hoodie and into his ribcage. His own soul seemed to answer the pulse with its own until they beat at the same rhythm. He knew the risks. He knew the chances. He knew the stupidity of this idea. He knew the consequences. It took seventeen long years to gather six human souls to break the barrier. But, knowing that the seventh soul would never comply to absorbtion, knowing that only he, that soul, and that insufferable flower were the only ones who fully understood what occurred for the past 1,563 resets, knowing that he was the only last stand for the hopes and dreams for Monsterkind…

*** YOU ARE FILLED WITH DETERMINATION.**

His bones ached; his soul sent shocks throughout his body. Now or never. He unzipped his hoodie, tore his ketchup-stained, white t-shirt open, and shoved the blue soul into his ribcage. He stared upward at the smooth, black ceiling above him, never truly peering down at the absorption process. Ice cold shocked his soul, then warmth, then an even colder sensation shook his bones to the point of near paralysis. He seethed as he felt his soul slowly conjoin with the light-blue soul, and a blinding light flashed from his eye sockets as he extended his arms and arched his spine backward. He could’ve sworn he was screaming, but the sound of his magic cracking and thundering throughout the room overpowered his voice. No way in hell Asgore didn’t hear that. Time suddenly became an even more bitter enemy.

Sans outstretched his arms and fingers as far as he possibly could, as if reaching for something hidden on both sides of the room with pure desperation. He relaxed and allowed his magic to overcome him and blanket him in a beautiful cyan. He felt his mouth tug into a more genuine smile, and he opened his soul to fully accept the human’s. An incredible burst of cyan exploded from the tiny skeleton, and then, pure darkness followed.

Although the numb feeling remained, a small tinge of disappointment filled his mind as he felt no change in his body whatsoever. _dammit_ , he thought. He took a moment to breathe deeply and familiarize himself with the sudden mass of magic overwhelming his soul. He stepped toward the Barrier, brilliant waves of pulsing light traversing down a seemingly endless tunnel. In the far distance, he heard the metal clanking of Undyne’s and the Hotlands’ Royal Guards’ armored boots. In the process of the soul absorption, he dispersed the blue bones from the doorway. It didn’t matter. What’s done was done; there was no turning back.

He took two more steps, then turned as he heard gasps behind him. His eyes met Undyne’s as she tore her helmet off and stared at him, her good eye wide and glowing with a golden hue he only saw during her battles to the death. He gave her a small smile and a shrug before widening his eye sockets as his eyelights met Papyrus, standing behind Undyne and the two royal guards of Hotland. Papyrus covered his mouth with his bony hands, tears gathering in his eye sockets. Sans lowered his gaze to the floor before turning back around and beginning toward the Barrier. Without turning, he raised a shield of bones to block one of Undyne’s blue spears, and used his newfound power to reject her magic to turn his soul green. He zipped his hoodie back up, covered his head with the hood, and paused before the very spot where the Barrier met the Surface. He looked back at Papyrus, tears now streaming down his cheekbones, his hands still over his gaping mouth.

“sorry,” Sans muttered, knowing all too well his brother most likely couldn’t hear, “i’ll be back.” With that, he stepped through the Barrier, ignoring his brother’s shrill scream. Energy tickled his bones as he continued walking. Though all it took was nearly two steps, it felt like five hundred by the time he stepped onto the other side of the Barrier to see a small doorway, a gentle light flowing from the other side. He swallowed as he stepped toward the light. He looked back, somewhat surprised to find that the monsters behind him disappeared. Either the Barrier hid their forms or they all rushed away to tell the king or, most likely in Papyrus’ mind, to find a way to chase him down and join him; or, at least bring him back.

Sans sighed and rubbed his skull as he considered returning. Perhaps he could retrieve the Determination Soul, now that he absorbed a human soul of his own. _no_. He experienced too much to risk the loop again. He straightened his spine, shoved his hands into his pockets, and began toward the doorway. He stepped through and shielded his eye sockets from the sudden, blinding light that overcame his vision. He blinked rapidly until his vision finally adapted to the sunlight, and he gasped as he peered down at the land full of trees, all appearing to raise and dip in the rolling hills that stretched past the horizon. Sunlight seeped through purple clouds as it kissed the horizon in a brilliant sunrise, turning the hills into waves of gold and emerald.

“look, paps,” Sans muttered, “that’s what we call the sun.” He turned to find his brother nowhere beside him, and he instantly remembered what just occured. He brought his hands to his face and rubbed his closed eye sockets. Something between a chuckle and a sob escaped his mouth. He was out of the loop. He was finally free.

He always thought he would fall to his knees, stretch his mouth to the widest smile possible, and scream to the skies in pure elation when this day came; yet, he surprised himself as the numbness refused to release its hold on him. His knees did eventually kiss the ground, yet there was no thud of his tibias hitting the rocky surface. Instead, he merely lowered to the ground one leg at a time. No scream tore his voice, and his smile remained at its usual resting width. After ten minutes of staring at the sun gently rising over the hills and greeting the day with its golden light, he felt the familiar tremble in his bones as the numbness gently subsided, and the tears finally came.


	2. Not Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Two! Whoo! We're really getting started here! I will most definitely add/fix/change things as I go, so feel free to return to the earlier chapters every now and then to see if anything changed!  
> Hope you all like it!  
> Warnings:  
> Panic attack, blood, angst, some little body horror, but nothing too terrifying or ugly.

He didn’t know how long he remained upon the mountaintop, staring at the view before him. However long it was, by the time he finally pushed himself off the ground to a stand, his tears had fully dried, leaving stained trails down his skull. He wiped them away with minimal effort and took a deep breath. His nonexistent stomach turned when he remembered once again that his brother was not by his side. He peered back to the mouth of the cave and felt a ping of doubt and fear, which grew until it exploded into newfound tears in his eye sockets. He sighed and blinked them away before they could escape and placed his hand on his chest where his soul rested beneath the hoodie. He noted the cold touch of the other side of his hoodie’s zipper gently pressing against his ribs as he recalled tearing his white shirt open, and huffed as he felt a small shiver travel down his spine. _calm down._ He reminded himself that this wasn’t the first time he reached the surface; hell, it was far from it. Yet, this was the first time he’d done so _alone_. A chuckle that rested somewhere between fear and relief escaped his mouth, and he pressed down on his soul harder.

Suddenly, he felt a jolt to his system as a question shattered his mind. Why was the Soul so quiet? He read books and legends detailing how once a monster absorbed a human soul, they could hear each other’s thoughts; feel each other’s spirits inhabiting the same body; perhaps even communicate with one another consciously. If that was true, why wasn’t there another voice in his head? Could the stories be false? The only monster who could ever possibly answer that question was back in the Underground, most likely curving his tiny, pollen-filled lips into a huge smile now that something interesting and different finally happened. He supposed he would play things by ear, and if the Soul ever did stir, he’d deal with that when the time came.

He peered back at the cave and half expected Papyrus to come out running after him, screaming his name and scooping him up in his arms, telling him that everything was going to be okay. Yet, he knew that if his brother hadn’t come out by now, there was no way he would be chasing after him anytime soon. Sans gulped away his loneliness, turned toward the sun, and began the long journey down the mountain, not once glancing back at the cave.

The sun was nearly in the middle of the sky by the time Sans reached the very bottom of the mountain. He was relatively shocked that he didn’t need a single break to sit down and catch his breath or to even take a nap on the journey down. He inwardly measured the newfound stamina he had, and made a mental note to test it out sometime before he reached the city. He considered taking a shortcut to the city lines; yet, there was something about the forest surrounding him that quelled his nerves. Perhaps, this time, walking didn’t sound too bad.

He could never truly get used to the lack of silence on the Surface. In the Underground, there was little silence in the Hotlands, thanks to the constant hum and cranking of machinery. Silence avoided Waterfall as well, with the trickling of water constantly filling the atmosphere. In Snowdin, although there was a sudden plop of gravity pulling fallen snow down from the pine trees in the forest, there was relatively no sound whatsoever once he’d travel a certain distance from the town. On nights when his night terrors prevented sleep from taking him, he’d walk down the winding path in pure darkness, where the only sound that echoed throughout the forest was the snow crunching beneath his slippers, as well as a quiet crumbling of rocks from far above if he paused and listened long enough. Although the silence seemed to calm his nonexistent nerves and ease him to a state of tranquility, there were also moments when the silence was too much, and eventually sent him into an overwhelming state of anxiety. On days when the silence nearly overcame his mind, he pulsed his magic into the atmosphere to create a deep humming sound and experimented with the acoustics of the forest, which he found to be quite useful for intimidation purposes once the Determination Soul found their way down the trodden path after exiting the Ruins.

Yet, he never felt the need to do so on the Surface. Although there were moments of silence, there was always _something_ to reach the skeleton’s hearing cavities. Perhaps birds chirping, or a river babbling, or even the wind wisping and tickling the rustling leaves; even in the most silent of places, Sans always found some sound on the Surface to draw in on. He found it both remarkable and maddening, having almost the opposite effect as Snowdin Forest. On nights when even the crickets’ shrill chirps kept him awake, he found himself craving the pure silence of the forest, and even considering taking a quick shortcut to experience it once again. His smile widened and he shook his head at his inconsistent preferences of sound, and noticed too late that a small tree was directly in front of him while he was walking on autopilot and deep in his thoughts. His skull smacked into the trunk of the tree with a _thunk_ and he stumbled back, his magic suddenly swarming around him.

 _odd_. His magic rarely flared up so quickly. Why was it doing so now? He peered inwardly and Checked himself.

*** SANS ATK 1 DEF 1**

*** IT’S OKAY. YOU’RE FINE.**

He felt his soul jump slightly at the short description. Perhaps he was so used to seeing “The easiest enemy” that anything else felt jarring. Yet, he was perplexed at the “ **You**.” Why did it say that? When monsters checked themselves, they rarely had any description in the first place. Every once in a while, Sans would find a short pun in the description; yet, this was a first. He Checked again.

***SANS ATK 1 DEF 1**

*** WHAT’S WRONG?**

_that’s weird...and wrong._ He took a moment to sit down on a nearby stump and rest his jaw on his hand. _maybe...one more time._

*** SANS ATK 1 DEF 1**

*** OKAY, SERIOUSLY. YOU NEED TO STOP THIS. IT FEELS WEIRD.**

Sans straightened his spine so quickly he heard a faint crack in one of his lumbar bones. He looked around to ensure no hikers were nearby to see his internal panic suddenly externalize. He relaxed his tension when a birdsong met his silence, then tensed up again when his mind returned to the matter at hand.

“uh...sorry. does my checking feel that weird?” he asked out loud. He Checked again.

*** YEAH, HONESTLY. IT KIND OF TINGLES.**

“oh. sorry.” 

*** DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. I’M ALMOST USED TO IT, NOW YOU’VE DONE IT SO MUCH.**

“who...who are you?”

*** KIND OF OBVIOUS, ISN’T IT?**

He felt his soul lurch down into the pit of his nonexistent stomach. So, it is possible to consciously converse with an absorbed human soul. He swallowed before peering internally once more.

*** MY NAME’S MICHAEL.**

“uh...nice to meet you, michael. i’m sans.”

*** YEAH, I FIGURED THAT, SINCE IT COMES UP EVERY TIME YOU DO THAT.**

“yeah. i don’t know how to turn that part off. sorry. 

*** EH. I’LL GET USED TO IT.**

A sudden relief and happiness overwhelmed him. He clenched his jaw and firmly balled up the ends of his shorts in his fists. He felt tears begin their short trek down his cheeks before wiping them away and deeply sighing.

*** YOU OKAY?**

“yeah. just...feels really good to know i’m not alone. i...really needed that. thank you.”

*** NO PROBLEM.**

He softly grunted as he pushed himself up from the stump and continued on his way to the city. He peered around the forest and noticed a small brook nearby. He knelt down at the bank, scooped up water, and attempted to drink. Yet, by the time his hands reached his mouth, the water all but drained between his phalanges. He grumbled and merely stooped to absorb the water directly. His teeth tingled as they touched the ice-cold water, and a shiver shot down his spine. He paused a moment to shake the shiver away, and continued. After four more gulps, he sighed before resting back on his calcanei and listening to the gentle bubbling of the brook as it made its way through the forest.

For a moment, everything was perfect. He closed his eyes and smiled as he allowed his mind to dawdle. Memories of past timelines where they reached the surface rolled by. He finally felt his smile turn genuine once he found a strange harmony between the birds’ notes and the brook’s beats. He extended his legs and rested back on his boned palms as he breathed a deep, deep sigh. His boned eyelids felt heavy and he felt his eyelights flicker as he yawned into a comfortable relaxation. He closed his eye sockets, sleep beginning to overcome him. As his mind began to shift to darkness, he suddenly shot back to reality as his eye sockets snapped open and his spine rigidly straightened. 

_SHIT!_ He forgot all about the Determined Soul he left behind; the very reason he left the Underground in the first place. That disgusting waste of life. That destructive thing that feels no remorse as it brutally strikes every monster until there is nothing but dust floating through the air. He left the Underground with that _thing_ unprotected. He stood up so fast that the world spun for a moment, and the next, he found himself back on the ground and staring up at the canopy the trees' leafed branches formed above him. He grunted a frustrated sigh as he stood up again—slower this time—and began back up the hill.

He should’ve remembered; he should’ve gone after the Determined Soul once he absorbed the other Human Soul. He never should’ve left; he should’ve been there to protect Papyrus. Gods...Papyrus!! Papyrus needed him. How could he be so stupid? What the hell was he thinking? Thousands of self-deprecating thoughts swam in his mind as he ran up the mountain; his breath rapidly leaving his nonexistent lungs. His mind panicked as a loose stone slipped under his foot, and he tumbled down the mountain with a yelp. He went to get up, only to feel a searing pain in his leg. He attempted to gulp the pain down, yet any movement sent pins and needles throughout his entire body. He finally found the courage to peer down to see a long crack run up his tibia. He grasped at it and seethed as he attempted to heal it. Thankfully, thanks to the newfound strength and magic he acquired from the Patience Soul, he found his healing magic increased a decent amount. Yet, it still wasn’t enough to fully heal the wound; though, what was once excruciating pain now numbed to a dull thump, and he settled with that for the time being.

He considered Checking himself once he realized that when he did initially, he never got a chance to glimpse at his HP. He Checked, ensuring not to look at the description and focused solely on his HP.

**MAX HP 8145**

Sans inhaled too quickly and coughed on choked air and he nearly flopped to the ground as the staggering number displayed before him seemed to glow and hum with an energetic aura. His breath caught multiple times in a row, and he felt the world spin faster and faster as the trees around him blurred into one blotted mess. He felt himself sway, yet didn’t feel the ground beneath his feet as his mind blasted thousands of questions at once into his head. Stars...Was he really that strong now? Why the hell did he only have 1 Attack and 1 Defense? What the hell was happening? He suddenly snapped back to reality when he felt the slight urge to Check himself grow stronger by the minute. When the urge proved to be too strong, he finally succumbed to it and Checked once again.

*** FINALLY! I’VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU TO CALM DOWN.**

“sorry. just...panicked there for a sec.”

*** NO KIDDING.**

“sorry.”

*** I THINK EVERYONE YOU’RE THINKING OF WILL BE OKAY. INCLUDING YOUR BROTHER.**

_great. it can also read minds._ Sans grunted as he stood up once more and glared at the inclining slope before him.

“i need to go back.”

*** AND THEN WHAT?**

“take care of that soul.”

*** BUT WOULDN’T YOU BE CAUGHT BACK IN THE LOOP AGAIN?**

_so, it knows about the resets too._

*** I’M NOT AN IT, YOU KNOW.**

_oh._

“sorry.”

*** IT’S OKAY.**

“papyrus needs me.”

*** HE’LL BE FINE.**

“but—“

*** DID YOU EVER DO ANYTHING TO STOP HIM FROM DYING? WHAT’S MAKING YOU START NOW?**

_ouch._ Sans felt guilt weigh his soul down, and he found himself sinking to his knees. Why didn’t he ever help Papyrus? He was sure there was a time he would’ve defended him to the death, but…That flower. That damn weed broke him ages ago. Once the flower began its own resets, Sans fought and fought and fought only to realize that he was going nowhere; he was giving so much time and effort to a cause that lead to absolutely nothing. Even if Undyne died, even if Papyrus died, even if _he_ died, it didn’t matter. Everyone would end up back where they were; reset to die all over again. Sans grimaced as his eye lights faded, and he let out a low, soft chuckle.

“i did...but that was a long time ago. when i thought i could make a difference...save the underground...save my brother,” Sans whispered so quietly, he could hear the birds chirping over his voice, “but that version of me has been gone a long time. he was killed long before that determination soul fell down.”

*** I...I DIDN’T KNOW. I’M SORRY.**

“no apologies needed. we’re good.”

He weighed his options; hundreds of possibilities; thousands of paths he could take at this one moment. The true question, however, was could _he_ reset? Could _he_ try to put the Determination Soul through what he endured in those 1, 563 resets? He grunted and grimaced and scrunched his face as he mustered as much magic as possible to create a Reset button of his own, or perhaps a Save File, at least. Yet, after a few moments of straining his body, he finally relaxed all of the tension with an exasperated sigh, and bent over until his forehead rested on the backs of his hands.

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t reset. After all of the mental and physical stress he experienced to finally get here—to push him to absorb a soul and leave the Underground, he was still stuck in an eternal loop of death and fake smiles. He punched the ground as hard as he could. He punched it again and again and again and again and again and again and again and ag—

*** STOP!**

He froze as the Check occurred on its own. He looked to his hand to see his fist covered in blood from punching a sharp rock. He seethed and wiped the blood away on his hoodie before wrapping it up in a piece of his ripped shirt he tore off.

*** YOU’RE SCARING ME.**

“sorry, kid,” he muttered, “got a little... _rattled_ there for a sec. heh.” He let out something between a chuckle and a sob before blinking away the tears he noticed were resting in his eye sockets. He shook his skull and heaved a shaky sigh as he closed his eye sockets and focused on stopping his bones from shaking. He could practically imagine the thoughts going through the Patience Soul at the moment. Though, he still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the idea of something having thoughts after death.

*** WILL YOU BE OKAY?**

“sure, kid. i’m always okay.” He stared at what looked like the mouth of the cave that lead back to the Underground. He never saw the cave from this perspective; he never once glanced backward, let alone ran back to it. He turned toward the city. Many humans resided there; many with a diverse collection of souls.. He knew he wouldn’t be able to beat the Determined Soul. Not now; not without a soul of Determination of his own. True, his father played around with his body and managed to stick some Determination in him, but it just wasn’t enough. He needed a human soul—no. He needed six more human souls. It didn’t matter which kinds; as long as they were human.

He felt a twinge of fear and guilt weigh his soul down as he stood up and, without glancing backward, started for the city once again.

* * *

* * *

* * *

Once he finally reached the very bottom of Mount Ebbott, Sans found a decently sized rock and sat down to rest his tired bones. He made a mental note at his new stamina—though it seemed extended, there were limitations, nonetheless. He yearned to turn his head and check just one more time if Papyrus was sprinting behind him to wrap him in a hug, or perhaps Undyne with a spear and a bottomless fury, or perhaps even the Determined Soul with its disgusting, red lips curved into a wicked smirk. He kept his sight forward, however, finally understanding that if his brother, his former friends, or his mortal enemy hadn’t caught up with him by now, there was no point in waiting for them to do so anymore. He sighed and roughly rubbed the mental exhaustion from his bones eyelids. Though he could feel the Patie—Michael’s soul lightly pulsing in his own soul, he still couldn’t lose the crippling loneliness that nagged him from the moment he walked through the Barrier. 

Yet, there he was. Sitting on a rock, hands on his patellas, and still not completely sure at how exactly to get six more human souls. There was really only one way: killing the first six humans he came across.

*** WHAT IF THAT HUMAN IS A CHILD?**

“the humans already lost eight children to monsterkind...what’s six more?” Sans suddenly shuttered at his own words. He felt his bones grow cold and another shiver run down his spine as the next Check occurred:

*** MUST YOU REALLY BE NO BETTER THAN THE MONSTER WHO KILLED ME?**

Sans’ gaze slowly panned down to the ground, and he tightly closed his eye sockets in disgust. Gods...What would Papyrus think of him by now? What the hell was he thinking? No. There had to be another way. There had to be.

“but there isn’t.” He squeezed the bridge of his nasal bone. Once he joined the Labs, he searched and searched for the human souls’ secrets; yearning to discover a way for a monster to merely borrow a human soul to absorb, then return. Yet, his researched proved fruitless; the horrific images of small bodies bloodying in the snow and spattering across echo flowers continued to haunt him, even after he quit his job at the Labs. His soul ached with disgust as he peered down at his hands. A small red stain began to seep through his makeshift bandage, and he seethed as he gently rubbed his knuckles and reminded himself to find something to eat to heal himself before entering the city. At least...The bad parts of the city.

Sans explored nearly every part of the city throughout the hundreds of pacifist resets he lived. When he found himself peering at the skyscrapers, seemingly touching the clouds in their majestic, metallic beauty for a fourth time, he decided to explore areas he didn’t get the chance to before the last reset. Since then, every run the Determination Soul “graciously” granted them access to the surface, Sans made sure to visit other parts of the city he missed before the next reset occurred. He forced his already strong memory to turn somewhat eidetic, which seemed like a great idea at first. He yearned to understand which areas of Ebbott City to avoid, all in order to protect and finally give Papyrus the perfect Surface experience, once the Determination Soul decided to stop playing with their lives and dreams. Yet, by the fiftieth genocide timeline after Sans formed an eidetic memory, the horror and torment that filled his soul became overbearing. Many genocide timelines in a row gave Sans a sense of hopelessness and helplessness; to the point where he became suicidal and desperate to escape. There were even a few runs when Papyrus walked into Sans’ room to find a pile of his dust sweeping throughout the room in his trash tornado. Yet, Sans still awoke once again in his room in Snowdin; the same water stains from melting snow sweating into the plaster of the ceiling staring back at him. After seven suicide attempts—four having been successful—only to return to life perhaps a few hours later, Sans determined that even death couldn’t help him escape his constant hell.

Yet, once he began searching Ebbott City during the good resets, he discovered a newfound hope: the idea of humans and monsters finding ways to coincide easier with each reset. Though he wasn’t completely sure, Sans hypothesized that some humans with Determination Souls on the surface could remember at least _some_ of the events of previous resets. He could’ve sworn he noticed some form of recognition from Determined humans he encountered during a previous timeline. However, this was only on rare occurrences, and only when a pacifist run occurred immediately after another. Recently, the Determined Soul decided that only genocide was the correct way to “save” monsterkind. If physically freeing them from their prison wasn’t satisfying enough, he supposed they figured that merely ending their existence over and over again would be better for them all. They once blankly stated their reasoning during a fight in the judgement hall, sending chills down Sans’ spine: Why expose such a benevolent civilization of monsters to the evils of humanity, when oblivion was the much better option?

Sans once feared that Papyrus’ naiveté created the Determined Soul’s proposed mindset. He recalled an earlier timeline—the very last time they escaped the Underground—when a Bravery human, very prone to hatred, threw an egg into Alphys’ face while they were shopping at the supermarket. Undyne, in a blind rage, shot toward the human with a casted spear, yet she ended up mortally wounding Papyrus, who stepped between them in the last second. Luckily, Toriel had a heavy healing item in her pockets; but, Sans never forgot the look of forgiveness upon Papyrus' face directed toward the human, pointing toward them while screaming at security. The following reset occurred later that day.

Sans still couldn’t shake the sight of Papyrus nearly Fallen Down due to protecting such a despicable being, and he was sure that the Determined Soul came to the same conclusion he did: Papyrus was way too good for this world. Yet, the Determined Soul took that idea to a completely new level. Sans discovered this through kneeling in the freezing rain of Snowdin as he screamed into Papyrus’ red scarf; his untainted dust scattered upon the scarf, his battle body, and the surrounding wet snow. Sans buried his head deep in his hands at the thought of a human destroying the life of such an innocent being. Naive, yes, but innocent, nonetheless.

Sans felt a pang of his own Determination rise as a calm rage slowly bubbled within him. He was so close to freeing everyone that he could feel it. The monsters would be freed, and the Determination Soul would be dead. No more resets. No more murder. No more suffering. Papyrus could hate him for the rest of his life; Sans didn’t mind too much. Sure, it would certainly hurt, but at least he’d be alive.

*** YOU FEEL THE TENSION OF YOUR BONES FADE AWAY AS HOPE FILLS YOUR SOUL. YOU ARE FILLED WITH DETERMINATION.**

_huh. that’s new._ Though he noticed small announcements of his own Determination appearing in his Check, those never seemed so long, nor so...Encouraging. Sans stood up and basked in the warmth of his newfound, extra-strength Determination. Though he couldn’t see him, he was sure he could feel Michael’s gentle smile in their shared soul.

* * *

* * *

* * *

The sun just managed to sink below Mount Ebbott’s peak and the brightest stars revealed their first shimmers by the time Sans reached outside the city. Though he knew he could’ve merely shortcut to the outskirts, he, strangely, preferred the walk this time. He appreciated the time to think and inwardly converse with Michael about their plan; though, throughout the entire journey, they seemed to run about in circles. Thoughts of killing six more humans were shot down instantly with a loud Check, and additional thoughts of returning to the Underground to deal with the present problem were shooed away with external shrugs. Sans attempted to explain to Michael that the only way for a monster to acquire a human soul—or any soul at that matter—was to kill it. Souls were the very essence of one’s being; to take it, the owner can’t be alive, as the soul was always attached to the person. True, it was possible to pull a soul out via color magic; yet, the following actions always resulted in the body following suit—hence, why Sans always found it so easy to slam the Determined Soul against the walls in the Judgement Hall without needing to physically pick them up.

No. Though Michael screamed protests into Sans’ Checks, there was no other way; Sans needed to kill. He felt a pit in is soul sink further as he realized that this would result in him gaining LOVE, and though he doted on the idea of gaining more HP, the idea of LOVE tainting his soul stirred nausea in his inexistent stomach. He gripped his hoodie over where his shared soul resided, and tightly closed his eye sockets. He listened to the hustling city preparing for the night; he listened to the car honks, the machinery, and the shouts of sober and drunk human encounters. Six of those humans will meet the end of their lives in a few mere hours. He only needed six.

He could accept the cost; even if the LOVE caused his brittle soul to crack and crush his bones to dust; it didn’t matter— _he_ didn’t matter. As long as his brother was safe. _That_ was what mattered. He reopened his eye sockets and felt a twinge of fear and anger sink his soul lower.

“i’m sorry, michael,” Sans sighed, “i really am. but i think—no. i _know_ there is no other way. either take six humans souls, or give up completely. just return to the underground and wait for another reset to take us back to where we originally were. you in that capsule, and me in an endless loop of watching my brother die over and over.

“your choice.” Silence filled Sans’ thoughts as guilt filled his heart. He let out another sigh before bringing out his own soul. The upside down heart gently glowed with a gentle silver; a small aura of light-blue surrounded the soul, yet never fully touched it. Sans carefully wrapped his phalanges around his soul, and brought it close to his face.

“i know this is a difficult choice to make. and i know that you have no idea what i experienced in the resets. just like i have no idea what you went through when asgore...killed you. i’m not pretending to know everything, but i’m also not ignoring the facts. not anymore.

“i imagine this is incredibly hard for you, and i accept that. i know what it’s like to want to think that doing nothing is better than doing what you don’t want to do. but, trust me...it’s not that simple. i finally realized that. it took me literally over a thousand resets to figure that out. i’ve been incredibly immature and...unfair. to myself and to those around me. even the det—the kid.

“i’m just damn tired of living in a loop that will never break. i’m finally done with being a lazybones. if you truly don’t want to do this...then i promise that i will find a way to let you pass on. maybe finally be with your…” Sans paused. He felt fear and pure torment flutter from his soul, and he involuntarily gasped from the sudden cold wafting from the glowing upside down heart in his hands. He bowed his skull until his forehead rested on his entwined thumbs.

“i’m sorry,” he whispered, “i won’t step in that direction. stars know i know that pain. but, the offer still stands. you can finally rest. i can help you get that peace if you want. but, i will still do what i have to do. with or without you.”

Pure silence filled his mind and soul as the blue aura seemed to dim and pull into itself. Sans sank to the ground and ground his patellas into the muddy earth as he opened his phalanges a little more to give the soul some space. Finally, the aura brightened and returned with a renewed brilliance.

*** I WON’T APPROVE WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO DO.**

Sans closed his eyes and prepared to search for a way to find the soul within his own.

*** BUT I UNDERSTAND.**

Sans reopened his eye sockets and stared at the soul, suddenly glowing more and more in a light-blue aura.

*** I’M TIRED OF THE LOOP TOO. AND BEFORE YOU ASK, YES. WE ALL REMEMBER THE RESETS.**

Sans’ shared soul suddenly felt heavier in his hands as the overwhelming guilt filled his bones. How many times had the six humans before the Determined Soul arrived felt an intoxicating eternal peace, only to be mercilessly dragged back to consciousness in tiny containers and remain there again until the next pacifist reset? Even Sans barely remembered what would be considered the afterlife; he remembered pure darkness, frigid cold, and an endlessly blowing wind. If that was what the afterlife was like, Sans figured that there was no point in finding a religion to look to. There was nothing there.

There were times, however, Sans wondered if what he experienced was merely Limbo; a place where the spirits of the monsters of the Underground went between resets. Perhaps if the Determined Soul waited a little longer between resets, they all would finally experience eternal peace. Deep inside him, Sans hoped for that— _prayed_ for that. For Papyrus’ sake if he experienced the same darkness. Sans took a deep breath and shook his shiver away as he thanked the gods that Papyrus never fully remembered the resets. True, Papyrus had a night terror or two—particularly when the weed first popped up. Yet, since then, Papyrus remained blissfully ignorant, and truthfully, that was the only thing that kept Sans going this long. Seeing Papyrus bound all over the place, kicking up clumps of snow behind him, filled Sans’ soul with light and hope. During moments like those, Sans couldn’t help but see Papyrus as the tiny babybones skipping down the alleys of New Home and sorting trash from tipped over trash cans into makeshift puzzles. A sense of freedom always seemed to fly from Papyrus’ bones and fill everyone around him with hope, though no one would truly admit it. Most monsters remained quiet about the quality of Hope.

Sans felt a forced Check shock him out of his thoughts and stared at the words:

*** ARE YOU OKAY?**

“yeah, kid. i’m always okay.”

*** WELL...IF WHAT YOU SAID IS REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO GET SOULS...THEN, I’LL HELP YOU.**

Sans felt tears fill his eye sockets, and he bowed his head, despite knowing that Michael was inside him and not in front of him. 

“are you sure? you sure you don’t want—“

*** NO.**

The Check occurred so quickly, Sans felt an entire jolt to his system. He shivered away the shock and gently gave another Check.

*** I’M JUST...NOT READY.**

“i understand,” Sans muttered as he stood up and peered to the city, suddenly incredibly thankful that he wasn’t alone. 

*** I THINK WE NEED EACH OTHER MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.**

Sans solemnly nodded his head before whispering, “yeah...we do.”

Suddenly, the blue aura around his soul gradually faded, while his silver soul gained the faintest light-blue tinge. He felt a purity rise within him, and he closed his eye sockets to bask within it. Once he reopened them, they widened as they stared at his soul, now colored a very light-blue and glowing more brilliantly than he ever saw in his entire life.

“uhh…” Sans stuttered, yet Michael didn’t need to answer; they both felt the instant connection between their souls. He gently clasped his phalanges around the bright soul, and gave it a gentle squeeze in consolation. He was sure he felt Michael respond with a gentle squeeze of his own, and he smiled.

“yeah,” he whispered again, “i’d say we need each other more than anything now.”


	3. The City of Bliss and Despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter!! It really gets interesting here! Whoo! This is the last chapter that I had mostly written when I decided to post this, so postings will most likely take a little extra time to come, but please know that I will still come back and add things every now and then in this chapter and the earlier ones as I work on the new ones! Please be filled with patience as I continue to work on this!  
> Thank you so much for reading!! Hope you like it!!
> 
> CHAPTER WARNINGS:  
> Extreme violence  
> Body horror  
> Mention/Description of blood and wounds  
> Panic/Anxiety attack  
> Crude language  
> Quite a bit of angst

The city reeked of human excrement, exhaust, and fuel. Sans’ hearing exponentially decreased when car horns’ screams reached his hearing cavities as he walked down the gritty sidewalks; his pace slightly faster to keep up with the humans. Luckily, he remembered the appropriate pace to walk in order to not get noticed; merely walking with his hands in his pockets, and his head down; his hood tucked far over his face. He slightly flinched when he suddenly remembered that he was the only monster to reach the surface this timeline; humanity still didn’t even fathom the idea of a living skeleton, let alone an entire variety of races of monsters living in another world underneath the large mountain a few mere miles away. He knew the moment a human saw his face, police would arrive, and only disaster would follow. Instead, Sans kept his hood up as far as possible, and even then, he stayed in the more shadowed areas. Though he felt some irritation and anxiety from Michael, he mentally shoved it away and leaned against a dumpster in an alleyway. 

* WE SHOULDN’T BE IN SUCH A DARK PLACE.

“we’re fine,” Sans whispered, looking around him to ensure no one was nearby, “this is a safe part of the city.” No protest came from Michael, and Sans relaxed, assuming that his assurance quelled Michael’s spirit for the moment. He gazed around and observed humans walking past him; hundreds of different personalities—hundreds of different souls—coming into contact with one another, yet having no effect on each other’s lives. He peered to his left to see a human sitting between two piles of trash bags and shivering under a blanket much too small for his size. For a moment, Sans flashed back to when he and Papyrus lived on the streets of New Home; the hunger in their magical stomachs forcing them to wish they didn’t exist; hundreds of monsters meeting them each day only to look down and shake their heads as they passed the two baby bones, shivering with torn blankets and tattered clothes. He shunned the thought away with a shiver of his own and returned his attention to the human to watch her slowly stand, take a small piece of cardboard, write something down on it, and begin toward the other side of the alley.

* WELL?

“well, what?”

* THAT’S A HUMAN, AND SHE HAS A SOUL. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Sans felt his bones chill as he watched the human continue down the alley. He stood within the shadows, frozen, as the human steadily turned the corner and walked out of sight.

* SHE WAS RIGHT THERE. WHY DID YOU HESITATE?

“i...i don’t know,” Sans whispered; his body still frozen in the shadows of the alley. He felt his joints lock and felt pain as he attempted to move any of his limbs. A small bullet of sweat rolled down his skull and tickled his cervical vertebrae once it slipped underneath his shirt. A small gust of wind shocked a chill upon his suddenly wet body, and he made a small yelp as a cat yowled and scurried away.

* ARE...YOU OKAY?

“i don’t know,” Sans repeated as he finally found the strength in his bones to walk further into the shadows. He rested his back beside a brick wall, and slowly slid down until his knees touched his ribs. His vision suddenly blurred and tunneled as he began to heave sharp gasps; his nonexistent lungs suddenly feeling much more empty than they truly were. His eye sockets opened as wide as possible and his eye lights completely faded out as his breath quickened and his bones shook violently.

* CALM DOWN, YOU’RE HYPERVENTILATING! PLEASE, YOU NEed to calm down

Sans gasped and quaked as Michael’s voice rapidly faded out, and he shut his eye sockets tightly and attempted to tune out all of the city noises, suddenly indescribably loud and painful. For a moment, every sound from a drip of water from the drain pipes to a metallic rattle from a tractor trailer running over a raised manhole made his mind jump and swerve to find some sort of escape. He pressed his hands against the sides of his skull and let out a scream, only to realize that nothing was escaping his mouth; his voice suddenly not yielding to his demands. He squeezed his skull harder, and pressed his forehead against his knees as harshly as possible; his small frame easily disappearing amongst the trash cans and overflowing trash bags. 

Finally, the world faded away into a blissful silence, and Sans slowly opened his eye sockets, only to snap them open as he stared at a beautiful light shining in from stained glass windows; disgusting shades of gold and rust loomed as fake light reflected off the tiled floor of the long hall consisting of large pillars. Sans felt his soul sink down to the very pits of his pelvis. 

_no_.

He heard a footsteps grow louder behind him, and he twisted to see the Determined Soul, staring back at him with a twisted smile; its eyes bright red, as if nothing but Determination itself lived in a shell a former friend once owned. Sans never knew exactly what happened, but one thing he did know: Whatever it was...It wasn’t the person who released them. He refused to call them that name while it stood in front of him with no emotion, save for a crooked smile; arms dangling at its sides; hand grasping nothing but a knife, covered in dust.

Sans felt a shiver crawl down his spine as the Determined Soul looked up and smiled at him. Sans snapped his eye sockets shut.

 _please, no_.

The Determined Soul slowly began to step forward.

 _it wasn’t worth it, was it_?

Another step echoed throughout the Judgment Hall.

 _we just ended up back here again, didn’t we_?

The steps quickened to a run.

 _we’re never getting out of here. these resets will never stop_.

The steps suddenly halted. He opened his eye sockets to see the Determined Soul, standing immediately before him. Though his instincts screamed to stagger back or push it away, or to do _something_ , he merely stood still, shoved his hands in his pockets and allowed the shock in his body to slowly subside as he instead only stared back into the Determined Soul’s red eyes. He grimaced further, yet made absolutely sure that his eye lights were glowing brightly. If he was going to die again, he was going to make sure it _saw_ him die; he would continue to stare into its eyes until his weak magic finally succumbed to oblivion and scattered across existence in the form of dust. The Determined Soul curved its smile further upward as it, in one swinging motion, lifted the knife and brought it down hard across Sans’ ribs. He gasped, yet refused to look away. He grabbed the wound to feel his blood ooze out and slowly pool upon his shirt and eventually run down his phalanges. He heard his blood begin to drip upon the tiles much sooner than he expected.

 _not long, now_.

He continued to unblinkingly stare ahead with as much contempt as he could muster with his ribs slashed open. He saw the world warp and felt his patellas scatter in dust, and he half expected the rest of his body to drop to the floor, yet he understood monster magic physics never entirely made sense scientifically. Strangely, there was no pain this time; nothing but blissful silence. He felt a small, genuine smile form upon his skull, and his eye sockets slightly softened as he stared into the Determined Soul’s face, now contorted in a grimace of its own. Sans chuckled and finally closed his eye sockets.

“don’t you get it, kid?” he whispered as he felt his pelvis disintegrate, “it’s finally time you see me die. maybe then, you’ll actually feel bad for what you’ve done. hell, maybe you’ll actually emote _something_ after this.” He felt his spine begin to dissipate.

“i don’t know if this will do anything, but worth a try, eh?”

“Perhaps,” the Determined Soul finally spoke, its smile now back and bigger than ever, “But at least we both know where you’re going. Who knows? Maybe you’ll run into your brother there.” Sans felt his eye lights immediately flash out, and he flicked his left hand before it, too, turned to dust.

 _SNIKT_! The Determined Soul widened its eyes to the point that it looked as if its eyeballs would pop out as it let out a sudden, throaty gasp. An ivory bone penetrated its entire chest and protruded out its back; red blood glistening under the golden hue of the Judgement Hall’s light. It grasped Sans’ shoulder as its eyes filled with hatred before softening. Its pupils glassed and eventually dilated as death kidnapped its mind and sent it to oblivion. Sans watched with sadness and pain as he watched the red soul emerge from the body’s chest, quiver, break in half, and shatter in a horrid sound that shook him to his very core. He finally relaxed as he felt his spine and ribs turn to dust and closed his eye sockets.

Everything would be okay. He would try again next reset. Maybe just one more try at not being lazy would be worth it...Maybe he could do some things right this time. Maybe he could bring Papyrus with him this time. Maybe...Maybe...He opened his eye sockets and loudly gasped as another human stood before him; his gentle, light-blue eyes staring back with a calm timidity, yet his pupils remained completely dilated, sending a chill so cold he was sure the dusting process halted. The human boy looked at him in regret and sadness and slowly reached out until he touched Sans’ cheek bone. The warmth of his hand overcame his chill until whatever was left of his body finally stopped shaking. Strangely, he felt himself breathe easier, despite the fact he was so sure he felt his ribs buckle into dust. The human boy sent him a sad, gentle smile as a tear streamed down his cheek.

“I’m so sorry you had to endure this,” the child whispered, his voice delicate and pure; nothing at all like the Determined Soul’s voice, “I’ll help you through this. I promise.” Sans’ eyesight finally fully returned and he looked at him. The boy’s dirty blonde hair greatly complimented the small dimples that colored his cheeks and his thin, pink lips. His face was long, yet matched his scrawny body; his light-blue eyes pierced into any soul with a gentleness that seemed to force mercy out of anyone looking into them.

“I’m here,” the boy whispered, “Please come back.” He inched his face incredibly close to Sans; though he feigned breathing, Sans couldn’t feel the child’s breath upon his face. Yet, he found his focus solely resting upon those piercing light-blue eyes, inviting him into a state of pure relaxation. Sans felt his boned eyelids fall heavy until they finally closed, and Sans gave into an oblivion he hadn’t felt in a long time.

* * *

* * *

* * *

Sans felt pain in his spine as his mind crawled back to consciousness, and he could’ve sworn he heard a car honk.

 _did pap try to make his car bed start up again_? He rubbed his closed eye sockets and prepared to see the usual snow falling outside his window, as he did every morning after a reset. Yet, he felt a pure shock to his entire system when he opened his eye sockets and saw the side of a brick building littered with graffiti and windows; the sky above him fully dark and overcast. He shot up so rapidly his spine cracked, and he grunted at the small, sudden pain. He peered around him to see the same alleyway he stood in a few moments before his encounter with the Determined Soul. Was it possible another reset occurred to bring him back to his former timeline? It would’ve made some sense, he supposed; every day of his started with him in his bed. It was feasible for multiple timelines to begin then. Was this just the time the Surface would return to during a reset? Or did he manage to finally pull a reset of his own in his bliss in death?

A sudden forced Check snapped him out of his thoughts and wanderings.

* YOU’RE FINALLY AWAKE.

So...He _was_ in the same timeline as before.

“...uh...yeah. sorry to, uh, worry you.” He could practically feel Michael’s shrug inside his soul.

“can i, uh...ask what happened?”

* YOU STARTED TO HYPERVENTILATE AND PASSED OUT. I THINK YOU BEGAN TO HALLUCINATE, WHICH BLED INTO A NIGHTMARE.

 _heh_. Sans inwardly chuckled at the not intended pun and rubbed the back of his skull. He felt his temperature rise as he was sure a shade of cyan slowly painted his face.

“did you, uh...see any of the…”

* YES. I DID.

 _shit_. Sans sunk lower to the ground and covered his face. He shook his skull and fought back the tears of frustration and embarrassment fighting to escape. He felt a small ping upon his soul, and he brought it out to see it pulsing with an incredible light-blue aura and energy.

“what...what’re you—“

* JUST RELAX. PLEASE. BREATHE.

Sans sat back, closed his eye sockets, and took two deep breaths before feeling a calm relaxation overcome him. The warmth lulled him into a short doze before he awoke again to a soft voice speaking to him.

“You alright there, buddy?” Sans shot up to see the same human he noticed earlier that day. He instantly covered his face further underneath his hoodie before answering.

“yeah. ‘m fine. must’ve dozed off.”

“Well, can you just...go? This is my spot.”

“oh...oh!” Sans rapidly stood up. He winced as his bones creaked and snapped at the sudden movement. The human looked at him with curiosity, yet seemed to give in to his exhaustion rather than ask more questions as he shrugged and lay down in the same spot Sans was resting in. Sans shoved his hands in his pockets and began toward the street.

“Strange,” he heard the human say behind him, and he twisted his skull to look back, “It looked like you were lying here for a long time...But the ground isn’t that warm.” Sans prepared an excuse, yet he was stopped by the human looking at him with sincere sorrow as he stated, “This city is really shitty, isn’t it? Nothing ever really happens. No one ever seems to go anywhere, do they?”

“no…they don’t.”

* HERE’S YOUR CHANCE IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT!

Sans steadily walked toward the human and prepared his magic. He felt his anxiety skyrocket as the man’s face lit up with confusion and a twinge of fear. Before Sans could say anything, though, he heard a voice echo from the other end of the alley. The human looked toward the voice, giving Sans enough time to snap his fingers and teleport to the other end of the city, leaving the man to sit in his spot in dazed wonder before he shook his head and succumbed to sleep.

* * *

* * *

* * *

Sans, in his hurry, forgot to look where to land once he came out of his shortcut, and ended up misstepping and tumbling into a fountain with a grunt and a splash. He emerged with a loud, voiced gasped and a few sputtering coughs as he scrambled toward one of the marble sides; his clawing phalanges easily slipping against the smooth surface. His strength sapped immediately, and he sank further into the cool water until his entire body was submerged; his bones absorbing the water and becoming even more slippery. His bones stung, yet quickly numbed as they lowered into the water; the falling drops pattered upon the surface above him, causing the bubbling water to appear beautifully warped. Water immediately seeped into his eye sockets and nostrils, causing them to sting. He closed his eye sockets and deeply sighed as he allowed his body to fully relax as the cold water numbed his bones.

He felt a small jolt from his soul, and he opened his left eye socket to see a contorted, shadow of a small human staring down at him through the rippling water. Sans instinctively gasped in shock and inhaled a full gulp of water. He shot up above the surface sputtering and hacking; the water raining down upon his smooth skull not helping his magical lungs whatsoever. When he finally coughed out the water and caught his breath, he peered to the human and realized that its features were those of the human boy he saw in his dream; his full body not filled in, yet surrounded by a beautiful, light-blue aura that traced his outline.

“how are you…”

“I don’t know...I...I think I finally gained enough energy to do this...But I can’t do this long,” Michael answered as he stared at his hand.

“oh...okay.”

“Are you okay?”

“sure, kid. i’m alwa—“

“No...You’re not.”

“no,” Sans muttered as he attempted to stand, yet fell back again as his porcelain-like hands slipped against the fountain’s floor, “i suppose i’m not.” He leaned against the side of the fountain as more water seeped into his eye sockets. He brushed the rolling droplets away only to feel more slide in once his hands plopped back into the water.

“What can I do?” Michael asked as his form lowered into a kneel in front of Sans, who merely answered with a shrug and a yawn.

“i think i just need to rest. haven’t slept since this whole thing began.”

“But you just woke up.”

“whatever that was, that wasn’t sleeping,” Sans grimaced as he shivered away the exhausting nightmare.

“Do you...Wanna talk about it?”

“you saw it, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“then, there’s no need to describe it..”

“I didn’t mean it like—“

“i know. nah. i’m good, kid. just gotta log it back here,” Sans smirked as he rapped his knuckles against his skull, making a small clack.

“Doesn’t sound that healthy.”

“trust me kid...nothing about me is healthy.” A moment of silence, save for the bubbling water passed between them before Michael finally spoke.

“Well...First thing’s first. We gotta get you up.” He attempted to grab Sans’ arm, yet his outline phased through, and he ended up nearly toppling backwards.

“...Shit.”

“aren’t you a little young to know that word?”

“I learned it from my...It...Doesn’t matter,” Michael muttered. Sans peered away as he registered Michael’s discomfort, and shrugged.

“probably better that you don’t try that, anyway. even if you _could_ pull me up, doing so would probably drag you down too. when these bones get slippery, they don’t move for nothing.”

“Then...How do we—“ Michael cut off when Sans looked back and gave him a small smile.

“i just need a little help from you, kid.”

“But...You just said—“

“i meant physical help.” Sans pulled his soul out and held it close to his soaked hoodie before gazing up and Michael and holding his soul out to him, “mind helping a guy out?”

Through some strange, unspoken connection, Michael returned his smile and touched the soul, causing it to light up brilliantly with a light-blue tinge.

* THE FOUNTAIN’S PITTER PATTERING SOUND REMINDS YOU OF THE RAIN IN WATERFALL, AND FOR A MOMENT, YOU FEEL AT HOME. YOU ARE FILLED WITH DETERMINATION.

Sans felt his strength return, and he, with much effort and difficulty due to the slippery surfaces of his bones scraping upon the fountain’s soaked surface, finally climbed out of the fountain. He landed on the concrete ground with a grunt, yet sighed with relief once he felt the air slowly begin to warm his soaked, cold clothes and bones. He sat up to see the outline gone and felt the familiar urge to Check.

* YOU OKAY?

“yeah. i’m _spine_.”

* ...DON’T EVER DO THAT AGAIN.

“no promises,” Sans chuckled as he lowered his gaze to his soggy slippers and socks. He kicked the slippers off and pulled the socks off, groaning as the smell finally reached his nasal cavities.

“whew!” he exhaled after throwing them as far as possible.

* YOU’RE GONNA HAVE TO GRAB THEM AGAIN.

“i will when i get the energy.” Sans plopped down on his back and outstretched his arms, staring up at the sky.

“you been to the city?” he asked.

* KINDA. I GREW UP HERE, BUT IT’S...CHANGED SINCE.

“ah. well, here we are.” A moment of silence passed between them before Sans spoke again, “you know what i hate about this place?”

* WHAT?

“you can’t see the stars. the lights are too damn bright.”

* OH. I...NEVER NOTICED.

“eh. you notice these things after living underground for a long time.”

* IS IT ALL WORTH IT?

“what?”

* GETTING TO THE SURFACE. IS IT WORTH ALL OF THIS WORK?

“i’m here, aren’t i?”

* YEAH, BUT…

Sans sat up and picked at the bits of leftover, soggy lint from the joints in his metatarsals, “to be honest, i used to think it was. when i was young, i dreamed of nothing but the surface. especially when the flower came in our lives. i would’ve done anything to get to the surface...to save my bro and myself from that weed.” He flicked the lint away and sighed when he stared at his wiggling toes, water still rolling down his feet.

“but, then the kid came, and...everything went to shit.” Sans couldn’t tell if the water running down his cheeks were tears falling from his eye sockets or if they were drops of water from the fountain finally escaping his skull. He instinctively wiped them away and heaved another sigh.

“i just want what’s best for paps. I couldn't care less about me, just...for him. he deserves the happiness that i—

* YOU DON’T DESERVE HAPPINESS?

Sans stared down at his hands; water running down them like the droplets of blood spilled by the Determined Soul.

“not anymore,” he muttered. His hands plopped on the concrete with tiny clacks, and he peered back up at the night sky, appearing pitch black, thanks to the many lights, forbidding the stars any access to the city.

Sans suddenly felt conscious about the breeze touching the top of his skull, and he rapidly threw his hoodie’s hood over his skull. The top slapped his head, and sent a few extra drops rolling down his skull. The soaked hood hugged his face closer than usual and sagged farther down than when it was dry, giving the hood a longer look than he preferred. Yet, he disregarded all his fashion complaints when a sharp breeze suddenly caught him and chilled his bones. He audibly shivered and rubbed his arms before finally standing up.

* NOW WHAT?

“now, we find a place to rest. it’s late.”

* WHAT ABOUT THE SOULS?

“i think we’ll be okay. the kid won’t reset so quickly until they figure out what we’re doing. if my timing’s right, they’re just getting to waterfall, so we have some time. that’s if the kid’s resets will reach us at all.”

* THEY’VE NOTICED YOUR ABSENCE, I’M SURE.

“something tells me that they welcome the change.”

* DOES THAT MEAN THAT BY NOW...YOUR BROTHER…

Sans felt his eye lights dim as his gaze returned to the ground. He solemnly grimaced as he whispered, “i don’t want to think about it.” He felt a tinge of guilt and pity weigh his soul down, and he forced his mouth into a smile.

“it’s okay,” he whispered, “he’s okay...he’s okay.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and began toward wherever he threw his socks.

Suddenly, a scream filled the quiet night, sending a cold chill down Sans’ spine. Without thinking, he bolted toward the scream and found himself at the opening to a cold, dark alley. Near the middle of the alley were the silhouettes of two human men; one was pressing the other harshly against the brick wall; the other’s collar balled up in one hand, something that was short yet round, and it seemed to glimmer against the faraway lights of the main streets.

Sans instantly ducked behind a small crevice in the bricks as he saw the silhouette of the attacker peer his way. After a moment of breathless silence, the attacker returned his focus to his victim.

“C’mon, man. I just need a twenty, that’s all.”

“I don’t have it,” the other human hurriedly panted, “Please, I swear, I don’t have any money on me.”

“Bullshit!” the first human hushed, drawing his face closer to the other, “I seen you walking in that there store, grabbing a pack a’ smokes. You think I didn’t see you go in there just an hour ago?”

“That was from what I got today! I used it all for a pack! I don’t have anything! I SWEAR!” Sans glanced ahead to see the glinting object raise closer to the victim’s throat, which was quickly followed by a choked sob.

“Shh,” the attacker hushed, “Don’t want to get too much attention, do we?”

“Please…” the victim cried, “This is all I have.” Sans heard the small jingle of coins exchanged and thrown to the ground.

“You think _that_ will give me a meal? You stupid piece of shit!”

“Please, no! NO!”

“I told you to be quiet!”

“Help! HELP ME, PLEASE!”

“SHUT UP!”

Sans started as he heard the victim loudly scream in utter pain as he watched the glimmering object jab into the sobbing silhouette; the glint rapidly turning redder with every stab; ten horrid, sharp squishes, accompanied by as many yelps, each decrescendoing and becoming more gurgled grunts by the final stab. Finally, the silhouette against the wall slid to the ground and slumped; a horrid, long silence broken only by the panicked breaths of the attacker. After a small clang of the weapon landing upon the asphalt, Sans ducked back under the crevice as the silhouette sprinted past him and around the corner.

After a few moments of absolute silence, Sans finally emerged and instantly approached the victim. They sat against the wall, painted with a thick line of fresh blood, gently sliding down and seeping into the small cracks of brick and stone. A small pool of blood already formed underneath the body’s groin, and it continued to flow down the alley.

Sans knelt down and examined the face, full of torment and pain; eyes closed incredibly tight and the face scrunched in agony. Sans reached out to touch the human’s shoulder, and flinched back when they suddenly coughed and opened their eyes; harsh, raspy breaths tearing from their failing lungs. The human stared at Sans for a moment before their eyes widened, and they began to mumble.

“The gr...The gri...Grim…”

“d—don’t speak,” Sans hushed, raising his hands to placate the dying human, “just...hold on. i’ll...i’ll try to find somebody.” Sans frantically looked around; his soul pulsing as anxiety overwhelmed him. He turned back to the human to see them holding out his hand; a calm expression upon his face.

“w...what—“

“I knew it would be my time soon,” the human muttered as more blood sputtered from their mouth after a rattling cough, “Please...Just make it quick.”

“i...i don’t know…”

“Take me away.”

“you…you want me to…”

“Heh. Funnily enough, I never believed in you until now.” Sans’ eye sockets widened as a dim, dark-blue glow formed in the center of the human’s torso. He slowly reached out, and summoned the human’s soul from his body; the soul glowed brilliantly once it exited the human’s body, yet the glow quickly faded as they slumped further. Sans returned his focus to the human and put his hand upon his shoulders.

“what is your name?”

“V...Viktor,” the human barely whispered; his voice hoarse and dry.

“i’ll take good care of you, viktor. i...i promise,” Sans whispered, his phalanges gently tightening around Viktor’s shoulder as his soul glowed in his other hand. Viktor answered Sans’ vow with a weak chuckle before looking up and meeting his eye lights with dimming pupils.

“Who would’ve thought the Grim Reaper was so nice?” Viktor asked before slightly smiling and inaudibly whispering, “Thank you.” With that, his pupils fully dilated, and his body fully slumped after a final exhale. Sans felt a chill run down his bones as the color in Viktor’s face immediately washed out as his body grew cold and whatever life rested in it finally escaped.

Sans gasped as the soul in his hand grew incredibly hot and glowed in brilliance. His eye sockets widened and his eye lights faded completely when he noticed small cracks forming upon the soul from the middle and beginning to spread further out. 

“shit, shit, shit!” He exclaimed as he wrapped his phalanges around the soul and clasped it as harshly as possible. He peered around as anxiety pulsed throughout his body, tearing breath from his nonexistent lungs. He felt the need to Check, yet he focused solely upon the soul, cracks steadily furthering across it. Bullets of sweat rolled down his skull as he watched the blue heart prepare to break in two. He held it tighter and scrunched his eye sockets. For the first time in a long time, he prayed. He truly, with all of his soul, prayed. Images of Papyrus, Toriel, Undyne, Alphys, and Asgore flashed before his mind, and his panic grew; tears of frustration rested in the corners of his eye sockets, and he gripped the soul tighter. He felt his own soul grow hot and match the heat of the human’s soul in his hands, now burning and scorching, causing Sans to grunt in pain, and he felt nauseous as words began to form in his mind.

* KNOWING THAT THE ONE STEP CLOSER TO SUCCESS IS FLEEING IN YOUR GRASP, YOU ARE FILLED WITH—

Suddenly, an absolute calm swept over Sans, and his labored breathing immediately slowed. He slowly opened his eye sockets and loosened his grip upon the soul, still burning his hands. He brought it close to his face and gently touched his teeth to it before whispering, “i’m here. it’s okay. it’s okay to be scared. i’m scared too.” He nuzzled the soul with the bridge of his nose, and felt a gentle smile form upon his face. His smile only grew wider as another group of words formed in his mind and soul.

* FEAR RADIATES FROM THE SOUL LIKE HEAT FROM THE LAVA OF HOTLAND. YOU UNDERSTAND ITS FEAR AND EMBRACE THE TERROR. YOU LET IT KNOW IT IS NOT ALONE. YOU ARE FILLED WITH PATIENCE.

Sans smiled as he felt his tranquility steadily transfer to the soul, and a soft gasp escaped his teeth when the soul ceased shivering, and the cracks slowly faded. Finally, the soul cooled and brightened in brilliance until it appeared a beautiful royal blue and seemed to outshine all of the lights of the city. Sans’ soul pounded with anticipation, and his teeth formed a pure, genuine smile. He felt something bubble deep in his soul, and it grew until he could help but close his eyes and release a chuckle, which gradually grew to cackle, then to a guffaw, and finally he nearly collapsed as his entire body convulsed in laughter; the tears in his eyes finally escaping and rolling down his skull. His laughter shrieked high above the occasional honks of the evening traffic, and after two loud bouts of laughter which sounded closer to moans, his laughs finally subsided, and after a few gasps of breath, Sans fell silent, his eye lights still laying upon the blue heart, hovering slightly above his palms.

Sans stared at the soul, glimmering in the darkness. One small thought suddenly popped in his mind: _now what_? He gazed around, suddenly self-conscious and aware of his surroundings. There he was, still soaking wet in his hoodie, holding a human’s soul with its dead body lying just inches away from him. Panic returned to flutter in his soul, and he made another quick glance around him before standing up and sprinting away back toward the fountain, leaving the human’s empty shell of a body to ooze cold, coagulated blood until a mother and her child would stumble upon it and scream for aid the following morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!!
> 
> I wanted to give all who have read/are reading this story a quick update as to why the next chapter is taking so long. I have nearly all of Chapter Four written, however I took a break on it, due to me getting a nasty case of writer's block. About two weeks ago, another idea came in my mind, and I decided to start working on that. This new project is actually something that I plan to write into a novel and hopefully publish!
> 
> Please don't worry! This story is NOT discontinued nor abandoned! I will merely be working on this in the midst of my large project I have going on right now. This only means that this story will most likely be updated only once in a blue moon. I understand if this means that some of you who have bookmarked this fanfic will leave and never return, and that's okay. I more than understand. I apologize for any inconvenience this causes to any of you.
> 
> Please be filled with PATIENCE as I slowly get back to this every now and then. Thank you all for reading! I look forward to hearing your comments and such as time slowly ticks by!
> 
> Since I have most of Chapter Four posted, I'm willing to post it as it is and edit it as I go, so you can all at least get some kind of update after all this time. Please let me know if that's what you would like so I can go ahead and upload it.
> 
> Thank you all again!


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